Page 19 of Lucien

What kind of question was that?

“A hunk like you?” Jamie asked. “Hell yes.”

Luc shot him a bemused look. “You’re strange, human.”

“I liked what you called me last night better.”

Luc raised a brow in question.

“You called me your flower.” Jamie bit his lip, suddenly embarrassed. He’d meant to tease the vampire, but he felt more like he’d exposed himself instead.

“Ah.” Luc smiled, all sharp teeth. “Tu veux que je t’appelle ma fleur, petit?”

Ohhh fuck. He was doing it again. The pretty French words. That was majorly cheating. Jamie’s cock shot up to half-mast immediately.

Luc smirked at him. “You liked it when I spoke French last night as well, I recall.”

Jamie couldn’t help himself. He swayed forward, wanting to touch and be touched.Needingit. But Luc took a step back. Jamie scrubbed a hand over his face, doing his best to hold in a little half scream. So fuckingfrustrating. And he knew he wasn’t the only one affected. Jamie didn’t miss the bulge in the vampire’s jeans. You couldn’t. That thing was a behemoth.

But Luc seemed determined to keep his hands to himself this morning. “Get dressed, flower,” he ordered. “I’ll be waiting.”

Jamie turned to head into his room, muttering to himself about stubborn vampires. At least Luc wasn’t going anywhere. Not yet. That would have to be good enough.

For now.

The bell on the door chimed above them as they entered the brightly lit building, the air-conditioning a sudden shock to the system after the outdoor heat of the afternoon. Jamie sent a little wave to the woman behind the counter. Anna, he was pretty sure her name was. She’d helped him out a few times before, always with good recommendations.

Luc let out a weary sigh behind him. “Whatisthis place?”

Jamie turned his head to smile at him, his grin widening at the grumpy look on Luc’s face. “My favorite used bookstore.”

Luc raised a brow at him. “Thisis your important errand?”

Jamie laughed, steering them in the direction of the science fiction. He started rifling through the spines. “Books are essential to my overall well-being. You should know that if we’re going to be eternally bound.”

Luc gave a little growl from behind him. “That’s not something to joke about.”

Hm. His vampire sounded pretty pissed. “Then tell me what you meant by it,” Jamie requested. How was Jamie supposed to know what he was or wasn’t allowed to joke about if he didn’t know what the hell was going on?

But Luc stayed silent. Fine by Jamie. He started browsing in earnest, amused by how Luc moved subtly closer every time Jamie strayed too near any of the other customers.

Jealous, monster?

To test it, Jamie sidled closer to a cute guy a little further down the aisle, shooting the dude a little wink for good measure. There was a grunt from behind him, and then Luc was looming over him (how did heloomlike that, when they were almost the same height?), his body between Jamie and the bookstore cutie.

A shiver ran through Jamie as Luc leaned in, his breath hot against Jamie’s ear. “I told you not to toy with me, flower. I wouldn’t rile up the monster like that, if I were you. Not if you don’t want a bloodbath in this sorry excuse for a bookstore.”

Jamie just grinned at him, meeting those black eyes without an ounce of fear. “Don’t worry, monster. I only have eyes for you. I just want you to stick a little closer is all.”

He wasn’t even teasing. Or at least, not just teasing. Luc was so careful to keep space between them, to keep his distance. Jamie didwant him closer.Neededhim closer. And if he had to toy around a bit to get what he wanted, so be it.

Luc growled then. Like, for real. A low, rumbly, honest-to-goodness growl. Jamie had the sense—he didn’t know how he knew it; he just did—that it was coming from the monster within more than Luc himself. A challenge or an acquiescence? Either way, Luc seemed to relax afterward, his posture softening as he leaned against the bookshelf, placing a little more space between them. But not too much this time. “Carry on, then, foolish flower,” he murmured, waving a hand at the book in front of him in invitation.

Jamie felt the vampire’s eyes on him as he browsed, watching him in that intense way he had, like he was clocking Jamie’s every move and expression, filing it all away for later.

After a while, Luc spoke again. “I could buy you books, you know.Newbooks.”

Jamie shot him a grin from his place on the floor, where he was organizing his stack of finds. “Ican buy me new books. But I like doing it this way sometimes. It’s like a treasure hunt.”

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